Developing reliable dietary guidelines

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Dietary guidelines should address the role of diet in primary prevention of diseases, secondary prevention in diseased people, and tertiary prevention after the illnesses. Such guidelines should also be useful for family members and the community.

A balanced diet is tasty and satisfying, supplies all vital nutrients, and conforms to the design of our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Our GI tract, especially our teeth and intestines, suggests that we are herbivorous omnivores, which means that we should eat primarily, but not exclusively, a vegetarian diet. This matches the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, which excludes meat and fish, but includes milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, and supplies all essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber. A balanced diet is based on our genetics, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and lifestyle.